


Too Late

by Emmagalller



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, One-Sided Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:02:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21867955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmagalller/pseuds/Emmagalller
Summary: Some times we let fear dictate our life and later realize that all we always wanted was right there in front of us, and sometimes we realize it when it's already Too Late
Relationships: Charles Leclerc/Daniel Ricciardo, Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen
Comments: 2
Kudos: 56





	Too Late

As the sun goes down in Abu Dhabi, the end of another season has come and gone, he should be happy and celebrating after all he got the third place in the championship and he has even beaten his biggest rival to it, he really should be happy, but he isn't.

Not when he's seeing said rival having a grand time with someone that used to be his, until he let his fears get the best of him and eventually screwed over one of the best things that ever happened to him, Daniel.

While he watches from the bar in a club he can't bring himself to care about remembering the name of, he sees how Charles and Daniel laugh and look at each other with eyes full of love, Daniel had never looked at him like that.

"You know mate you should really be celebrating instead of hurting yourself you know?" he turns around to see Carlos looking at him worriedly, after all the Spaniard is one of the only people who knew about him and Daniel.

"Max I know I can't even begin to understand how you feel, but those two? They are getting pretty serious, like meeting eachothers families type of serious, Lando told me after George told him, you know that he's pretty good friends with Charles so I don't think he's lying" Carlos said to him with a serious tone and even more serious look, like he wanted him to understand.

Ok Max was not expecting that, he may have out done his rival in the racing competition but not in the Daniel one, meeting eachothers families? He couldn't even think about introducing Daniel to his pet, without freaking out.

He suddenly felt the weight of the loved they had, the worse part? Max always knew Daniel loved him, he always let him know and made him feel loved. 

But Max? He didn't even realized how much Daniel meant to him even as a friend until he lost him.

"They can't be that serious" He voice broke as he said it and he cringed at his own vulnerability, "What does Charles know about serious relationships?" And he got angry just like he always did whe he talked about that stupid monagesque boy.

Carlos sighed as he heard Max's answer, he loved Max he was one of his best friends, but he couldn't stan behind this with him, not after all he had done to the Australian man.

"Well looks like he knows more about it than you" he said pointedly while the Dutch looked at him with hatred in his eyes, "Max you need to wake up you hurt Daniel, it's time you let him go and let him be happy, and by the looks of it that happiness is with Charles." Carlos got up and left hoping that his friend could understand and didn't get himself and Daniel even more hurt.

Max looked as Carlos figure got father away from him as the Spaniard got back to Lando, and he thought about what Carlos had said.

He knew that ok? He knew that he was selfish, he never treaded Daniel like a lover not even like a friend just like a teammate as a rival, as someone he had to beat and also someone with whom he had occasional sex with, while Daniel gave his all to him.

He knows that Daniel deserves happiness more than anyone else, he thought that he would find that at Renault, but now he just Hopes that it's not with Charles.

He sees Charles get up from his chair and kiss Daniel's cheeks and tell Daniel something that makes him laugh and looked at him like he holds the whole world in his hands and then he leaves in the direction of the bathrooms Max sees a chance and makes his way to Daniel.

In the corner of his eyes he can see Carlos shaking his head at him as he see where his going and also sees the look that Nico gives him, and he realizes that the German knows, because if looks could kill Max would be six feet under.

He guesses that everyone loved Daniel, and he was the only one who couldn't, he stops as he realizes this, and when he turns around to keep going he sees that Daniel has gone in the direction of the bathrooms too, and just the thought of what that meant killed him.

After that he decides that he can't stay there any longer, turns on his back and leaves for his hotel room, tomorrow he'd be back at home and everything would be fine, he was a man after all.

The next day while he was on a private plane back to Monaco, he was scrolling thru his Instagram feed, saw that Daniel had posted the pictures of them exchanging helmets and he smiled to himself without realizing.

The Australian was so understanding of Max, he didn't deserve that after all the tears and bad moments he made him go thru.

Then he kept scrolling and saw that Daniel  
Posted a picture with Charles, they'd also had exchange helmets, and Charles one even had a Message written and Daniel's one had an very obvious I love you written on it.

And that's when he realized that Charles did know what a serious relationship was, he wasn't afraid if the whole world knew he loved Daniel, Max couldn't have ever given the Australian that, not when he couldn't even admit it to himself.

Another month has gone by, and all he can feel is regret, he could blame it all on his father and how he raised him, but he knew better, this was all him, he was the one who hurt Daniel not his Father.

He heard his phone ringing, he rolled his eyes thinking it was probably Lando wanting to play either FIFA or i racing, and then he saw the screen Daniel name was popping up, he panicked while he answered the phone.

"Hey Maxy!! How are you dude?" Daniel's sunny voice came thru and Max couldn't contain his happiness as he replied.

"Nothing much really how about you?" He couldn't really tell him how really he felt, could he?

"Nothing much from this side either " Daniel's replied came thru. See that's the thing about them, they still talk from time to time, even though there's nothing much left to say.

"Just wanted to invite you to a dinner me and Char are planning before the season starts so far everyone's coming, and he wanted to know if you were up for it" Daniel explained, and the call suddenly didn't feel the same to him as it had at the beginning.

"Yeah sure dude tell Charles to count me in" he tried to pretend that he was happy about the invite.

After they said their goodbyes, he realized three things:

First he had a used a nickname for Charles that he knew the monagesque hated, he even remembers pierre telling him how Charles didn't even let his parents brothers or even Jules call him that, but there was Daniel who said it like it was nothing.

Second the diner was organized by the couple and they invited everyone as a couple, what really meant that they were serious and weren't going to hide it

And third also the one that hurt the most, Charles was the one who had invited Max, Yeah Daniel was the one to called him but the monagesque was the one who told him to ask because he wanted to know if he would like to attend.

And he deserved that, Daniel not really thinking about him, just like he had done.

After the dinner came and went he realized two things:

One Charles loved Daniel unapologetically and freely, he had never seen his rival be so soft to anyone in his life, he treated Daniel with the most care in the world.

And two Daniel loved Charles so differently from how he loved him, and he realized that Daniel loved Charles more passionately and Strongly than how he could've of ever loved him.

And that hurt like a bitch, because after almost two years since they started and ended whatever they had, that night, on that dinner table, Max understood that he was in love with Daniel but it was already too late.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it!! Some maxiell angst but also charles loving Daniel like he deserves!! 
> 
> Also sorry for being mean to Max, he just need to learn how to loved himself first before he loves anyone else!
> 
> Thank you for reading!! Let me know of you would like to read the about the dinner and drop some ideas if you like!!


End file.
